As most of you are aware I have spent most of the winter months swimming in the river and at my local lake. It has been an eye opening experience, I have experienced mild hypothermia and watched several others push themselves to breaking point. I must say that I'm now really looking forward to the warmer weather. I have been asked on multiple occasions why I and others swim outdoors. This normally comes from people who I don't know and they don't know that I'm swimming the channel and most of the time by people who are either wrapped up warm on the side of the river, in a boat, or in a pub which we have just gotten changed outside of, etc.
There is a certain look that they get in their eyes, a mixture of interest, admiration and the standard 'I'm talking to a crazy person' glint. The glint is always there, and the conversation normally ends with either good luck, well done or I'd never do that.
My standard answer is that "I'm in training to swim the channel for charity and I'm trying to acclimatise to the cold water and distance." While this is the truth, it is one of the easiest things to say and up until now I haven't really thought about why I'm doing this. I want to help raise money for Aspire; spinal injuries don't get the attention they deserve. I also want the challenge of doing something that I have never done before. But while these are the base reasons there are other factors I just haven't really wanted to share, especially with people that have that 'you're crazy' look in their eyes. Plus it's actually quite hard to hold a conversation with a boat that is going past you!
One of my main reasons was to prove to myself that I could overcome my old injury. It stopped me swimming when I was younger and I want to make sure it doesn't stop me from doing anything like that again. When I land in France next year, there will be no more excuses. I will have beaten it, and not let it win.
Another main reason is the fact that since I started open water swimming I have seen and experienced things that just make me want to keep getting back in the water. Misty foggy days at the lake, sunrise and sunsets on the Thames, the middle of the Solent with no one else around. Stormy seas round Burgh island: that was one I'll never forget! Lights dancing on the water during a night swim, geese formations flying overhead and my current training buddies this duck and her chicks...
So the answer really is another question, why would you not???